Delhi Protest Crackdown: A Democracy Cannot Treat Its Citizens as Enemies

Narendra Modi appears to have made enemies of the citizens of the country, and that is exactly what the streets of Delhi seem to suggest.The severe clampdown on movement of citizens and other measures on 10 October are indicative of paranoia that appears to have afflicted the government. This probably is the outcome of experience from the protests on 20 July. The government did not have a plan to contain the protests on that occasion—and appears to be acting with abundant caution. Such severe repression is indicative of weak leadership that has no clue as to how to resolve the imbroglio.The government, in its wisdom, has decided not to permit holding of peaceful protests which is a right granted under Article 19 of the Constitution. Instead, it has decided to take measures that appear worse than those India faced during the infamous Emergency from 1975 to 1977.'Darr Chala Gaya': PM Modi is Losing His Teflon, No Going Back from HereDelhi became a fortress with severe restrictions on movement of traffic and even persons on foot, through massive deployment of troops—almost 25,000 Central Armed Forces and about 15,000 from Delhi Police. Delhi is looking like a border zone where the military is ever prepared to take on the enemy. Jantar Mantar, the designated protest site, has been barricaded and anyone, including the journalists trying to go there are either being detained or forced to turn back. A personal example is that a play that I was to witness today at 3 pm at Lok Kala Manch near Sai Baba temple on Lodhi road, far away from the protest site, has been cancelled suddenly—in all probability because the organisers must have apprehended that people may not be able to come because of restrictions imposed. As if these measures were not enough, the police personnel have been visiting random houses, hotels, and even offices of political parties since Friday, and camping there to prevent the inhabitants from moving out on suspicion that they may join the protests. While the government/police may take preventive measures to ensure law and order, it isn’t clear whether the police has issued any formal orders to detain or restrain them. Traffic curbs have been imposed and people entering Delhi are reportedly being put to intense scrutiny to eliminate any chances of them joining the protests at Jantar Mantar.The youth is being turned back especially. Several youth travelling to Delhi from far-off places have been de-boarded from trains at various stations. In fact, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has passed a habeas corpus order to Madhya Pradesh Police to produce such youth de-boarded from different trains. The civil society and activists had to approach the Supreme Court to direct the government to cancel the order vide which they had directed closure of as many as 57 metro stations and cancellation of several trains reaching Delhi on 10 October.Impromptu protests have erupted at many places all over Delhi during the course of the day, including Red Fort, Bangla Sahab Gurudwara, Safdarjung flyover etc. This defeats the very purpose of banning protests at Jantar Mantar and enhances the visibility of protests and thus wider dissemination of the cause for which the protests are taking place.Delhi Keeps Shutting Metro Stations to Curb Protests, but Who Pays the Price?The Delhi Police hasn’t exactly covered itself in glory in handling protests over the last decade or so. There were several visuals of the use of excessive force on peaceful protesters even on 20 July. Visuals showed men in civil dress giving lathi blows to the protesters. Lathis fixed with nails were alleged to have been used with impunity besides the use of pellet guns which blinded and caused near fatal injuries to several protesters. Several police personnel, including senior officers, were seen misbehaving with women during those protests.There is no compunction in stating that while following orders of political executive, it has been violating the law with impunity.The attitude of police towards common protesters was exemplified by what the DCP of Central Zone told his men about how to deal with the Members of Parliament who had planned a march to Jantar Mantar on 8 October. He said words to the effect (in Hindi) that “these are important people and should be dealt with dignity and respect.” Why should a common peaceful protester also not be entitled to similar dignified treatment?With internet shutdown in the Jantar Mantar area, the real time information is hard to get about the situation there. Some videos on social media, however, indicate that even accredited journalists are not being allowed to go to the area and anyone approaching that place is being detained. Some posts indicate mobilisation of protesters in areas not very far away who in the process of moving towards Jantar Mantar have been detained and sent away duly packed in buses. A showdown is unlikely unless protesters in large numbers approach from different directions. Some political leaders like Vrinda Karat have been detained besides some politicians from Kerala staying in Kerala Bhavan nearby have reportedly been evicted from there. A large crowd assembled in Connaught Place area is likely a flash point if they try to proceed and break barricades. For a change though, the policemen and other security force personnel but for some exceptions have their name tags on. Lathi-wielding people in civil dress too are not visible unlike on the last occasion and during several protests handled by Delhi Police during the last decade. Two Anti-Gyanesh Protests, Two Versions of Democracy? This is Not Done, Bro!The Delhi Police must realise that a crowd is always unpredictable in behaviour in a specific situation. The control can't be restricted to generalised normal ways. Crowd control warrants situational intelligent action. Theoretical instructions don’t work in real situations. What is required is practical and amicable solutions. This is possible only if the leaders lead from the front and retain the chain of command through proper and timely communication. One finds that lot of operational level leaders are present on spot today unlike on 20 July. Proper appreciation and timely guidance by the leaders will avert the situation from turning ugly. As the saying goes “a stitch in time saves nine.”While physical barriers, water cannons, or wide strategic channelling resorted to by the Delhi Police is designed to gradually reduce the acceleration of the crowd, it would have been much better if the protesters had been allowed to vent their ire by allowing to protest peacefully. When permission for a protest is decided not by a public order assessment but by who is protesting against whom, the police cease to be law enforcers and become gatekeepers.The citizens see the double standards and lose trust if the same Jantar Mantar that is denied to one group for “traffic concerns” is allowed to another with tents and loudspeakers. The uniform thus loses legitimacy. The best police forces in democracies don't win against their own citizens — they facilitate them. The Indian Police in general and Delhi Police in particular needs to comprehend this reality. (Sanjiv Krishan Sood (Retd) has served as the Additional Director General of the BSF and was also with the SPG. He tweets @sood_2. This is an opinion piece and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)

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Delhi Protest Crackdown: A Democracy Cannot Treat Its Citizens as Enemies

While following orders of political executive, Delhi Police has been violating the law with impunity.

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Topics: Modi CJP Protest Gyanesh Kumar